4.1 Quick Debug/Program Reference

The following table is a quick reference for using the MPLAB PICkit Basic In-Circuit Debugger as either a debugging or programming tool.

Attention: MPLAB PICkit Basic does not support debug headers.

Table 4-1. MPLAB for VS Code Debug vs. Program Operation
Item	Debug	Program
Needed Hardware	A computer, a target board (Microchip demo board or your own design), cable(s) and an optional adapter board to connect the computer to the target.
	Debug Tool, USB cable, target power supply.
	Device with on-board debug circuitry.	Device (with or without on-board debug circuitry).
Needed Software	MPLAB for VS Code
Needed Software	Application code (example code, i.e., from MPLAB Discover, or your own code).	Prebuilt code - Hex file.
MPLAB for VS Code  selection	.mplab.json file, PICkit Basic as Hardware Tool.
MPLAB for VS Code  selection	Debug and Run	Run Without Debugging (Ctrl+F5)
Program Operation	Programs application code into the device. Depending on the selections of Properties, this can be any range of program memory.
Debug Features  Available	All for device – breakpoints, etc.	N/A